The Uncertainty of Tomorrow
by x5past6x
Summary: The reboot to Tomorrow is Fickle. Takes place after Born to Run. After John makes his way to the future to go after Cameron, he realizes that the future is much different now as a result of his jump. Eventual Jameron, folks!
1. Prologue

_Hello folks. Long time no talk, write, all the good stuff. I know some of you wanted to know when Today is the Day would continue. Very sweet, but I wasn't happy with the beginning of it. So, as a result I decided to restart my entire little saga here. I'm not completely sure with I am going to continue with this. It is just an idea. So, here it is "The Uncertainty of Tomorrow", the reboot of "Tomorrow is Fickle". Give me some feedback, and I'll decide its fate soon enough._

**Prologue**

Covered in nothing but an old trench coat, he knew only one thing at that moment. He was certain of only one thing.

The future was cold.

He found himself in a small opening struggling to keep the coat closed, forgetting the fact he had buttons and a belt to fasten it with. As he moved into a small, dark corridor, he could feel his goosebumps rub against the ragged fabric of the coat. He carefully turned the corner, keeping his eyes and ears at a constant attention. His mother's training coming into play. A fire burned in a barrel making small crackle noises complementing the sound of his bare feet crushing rubble underneath them. The solo rubble voice was joined by a chorus of feet... and barking noises.

"I got one." a solider said, rifle aimed at the overwhelmed teenager.

He gulped. "I'm not metal."

"Don't move."

He put his hands up. "Pl-"

"Don-" the rifle shook in his hands.

"Please, I swear I don't have anything! I'm human. I swear!" The panic rose in his voice.

"Stand down."

Relief. Someone who could tell metal from human. His mouth dropped, then was soon replaced with a smile. The man held his rifle to his side as he pushed the other man out of the way. He quickly gave the teenager a quick look up and down before speaking.

"Look in his eyes. He's got about as much metal in it as you do."

"Derek..." His smile grew larger.

"Yeah?" he said a little rudely. How did he know his name? He never met this kid.

"John...John Connor." he spoke with the reassurance that Derek knew him. This was Derek. His smiled disappeared and was replaced by confusion.

"I know a lot of people, kid. Don't know you. Anybody heard the name John Connor?" He turned around and asked the others. They all shook their heads together.

"Well...you know what? I think you're going to be famous." John gave him a quizzical look.

"My brother's back and you're wearing his coat." Derek said with a small smirk looking at his brother.

John turned around quickly. He knew who was approaching him. Out of the shadows he could see him. The first time he'd ever had, as an adult that is. One of the two things that ever kept his mother going.

Kyle Reese.

John could feel the cold air enter his mouth. It was agape again. As confused, overwhelmed, and scared as he was. This moment could erase all of those anxious feelings, for a few moments anyway.

The staring contest the two felt like an eternity.

That is until another person he held so close entered his line of sight. Another smile appeared on his face. Cameron walked out of the darkness with her eyes focused on the ground.

_Derek didn't recognize him. But Cameron had to._

A small smile appeared on her face as she pet the dog, but it disappeared as she caught John's eyes on her. As soon as her's disappeared, his vanished too. Two moments of pure euphoria, taken away by the negative feelings from before. A sense of dread hit him when he realized where and when he was.

His jump to the future for "her" might have helped the machines win.

He was in a future without John Connor.

The basement room with the TDE was burnt beyond recognition, sparks flying out of the ceiling, and a small fire in the concave hole in the floor. The spot where his son left with a terminator. A machine she didn't particularly trust. Her eyes glanced at the other machine, another she didn't trust. She was lifeless, for a machine anyway. He went after her. Now she was alone, but with a mission. A promise. To try to stop it. She would try her damndest.

She walked out the door before turning around one more time. A look of uncertainty covered her face.

"I love you, too." she whispered, hoping somehow, he would he hear. Wherever he was.

* * *

><p><em>Once again, send me feedback, so I can decide the fate of this reboot.<em>


	2. A Son's Instincts

I know it has been a long time since an update, but I'm going to attempt again. I started watching the TV series again and it inspired me. I updated chapter 1 first, I lowered the tone of the Allison/John aspect. It wasn't right. So here we go again... wish me luck.

John had never been to a doctor. Whenever he was ill, it was his mother who took care of him. They did their best to stay off the grid. But as he sat on a cold elevated bed as his feet dangled above the ground, he felt like a patient on all the medical TV shows he'd seen. He laughed to himself as he placed his hands on the bed and gripped the stained ivory colored sheets. He remembered Cameron telling him everything that was incorrect when it came to human anatomy on those television shows.

_"Cameron." John said, a droll on the last part of her name. "I understand you have detailed information on human anatomy, but this is for entertainment. Entertainment isn't always true."_

_ She tilted her head. "I don't understand. Why would they put something false on television?"_

_ John cleared his throat and adjusted his position on the couch. "What's the definition of entertainment, Cameron? You read the dictionary."_

_ "Entertainment, something affording pleasure, a diversion, or amusement." she responded quickly. John just stared for a minute._

_ "Yeah, good. When people work from nine to five everyday, they come home and take care of their children, they want a diversion. Something to take them away from reality. Television and movies help with that." he sighed before continuing. "It helps them escape."_

_ She kept her eyes on him and he could feel the dread of his fate falling on his shoulders. Why couldn't he escape reality just from the glowing box in the middle of the living room? Nothing could help him escape his fate. Nothing._

_ She interrupted his solemn reverie. "Thank you for explaining." she said with a soft smile. "Let's continue to escape." she added nodded a head subtlety._

_ He stared at her with his mouth slightly open, his bottom teeth exposed before responding more positively. With a smile. "Sure." he answered._

He sighed as he watched his feet sway.

"No more escape." his voice trailed off.

Cameron was truly his only escape from reality, even though she was the gate to it as well. As much as he loved his mother, she was anything but an escape for John. The constant training and paranoia never allowed him to have a normal childhood, he was stripped of innocence as soon as he was old enough to walk. Any distraction that a mother would smile at, was only that, a distraction.

But Cameron allowed John to experience a normal childhood at points. Despite being a machine, her almost innocent demeanor towards human culture made him smile. As much as Riley allowed him to experience a normal teenage life, he knew in the back of his mind it was false. Cameron did the same for him, but with a balance that Riley and his mother lacked even more than he realized. And now she was gone.

Another sigh escaped his mouth and the carbon dioxide dried his lips. He stared down at his fit until he heard the rusted door open. John's eyes stayed fixated on the source of the noise until a body entered. Her wavy hair covered up her delicate face as she gently closed the door with her back. Her eyes looked down at the tray she held in her hands.

John stole a quick stare before moving his eyes away. He closed them tightly. This was her. Allison. The girl that Cameron thought she was. She had to be real. This was her.

"I'm sure you're hungry." her voice was soft, with a tinge of hopelessness. She walked up to him and held the tray down towards him with her arms fully extended, almost like an innocent child.

He had no choice. He looked at her and their eyes connected. A smile appeared on her face.

"Uh, thanks." he answered back as he grabbed the metal tray.

"You're welcome." she responded her voice still quiet.

He smiled back at her hoping she would leave. He couldn't stomach food right now, let alone Cameron's look alike standing right in front of him. He stole another peek of her and his sociopathic desire dissipated. She looked downtrodden. The war had definitely taken its toll on her. He could only imagine, friends, family, and comrades that she knew, loved, died in front of her, or after one last goodbye. He decided against his desire to be alone and spoke up.

"My name's John." he spoke up.

"I know!" she said loudly, realizes her unnecessary excitement, she looked down again and hid her smile. "I mean, I heard Derek say your name while Kyle and I were arriving at your location." She then extended her hand. "I'm Allison. Allison Young."

_"We have to go home."_

_ "Home? Who are you?"_

_ "Cameron..."_

_ "My name's Allison."_

_ "No it's not, it's Cameron. I can't explain right now, but we have to go before mom comes home."_

_ "You're freaking me out."_

_ "I'm freaking you out?"_

Now he was freaking out. He was with "Allison", the Allison. From Palmdale. He shook his head and looked at her hand a moment before grabbing it. "It's nice to meet you, Allison."

Her eyes closed and her lips closed. A smile, the first genuine smile he had seen on the sad girl's face. The smile shone through the trails of dirt on her face. She took a seat next to him as he took a sip of water. He grimaced at the taste of the metal in his water.

"Yeah, not the best tasting water. But, we have spare peanut butter and canned vegetables we just found. I hope you enjoy them. I know it isn't much, but..."

"No. It's fine. Really. I understand. Thank you for the food, Allison." he answered. He picked up the canned vegetables. The color had faded and the wrapper had seen better days, but he made out a date.

April 2011.

"Where did you find these? Did you find them in a shelter? I thought Judgment Day would have destroyed this stuff." he inquired.

"Well, Kyle and I found a hidden shelter. It was full of weapons, computers, and non-perishables." John could see the wheels turning. "You know, I didn't think about it while out, we we're in panic mode with metal out there, but it seems someone was planning for Judgment Day."

John looked at her.

_"I'll stop it."_

A tiny shiver of hope opened in John's gut.

"It happened out of nowhere. How could anyone plan for that?" she asked herself.

It was his mother. Who else could it be?

"Did you grab everything from the bunker?" he asked. He hoped. All of his mother's training couldn't prepare him to see the outside world.

She shook her head. "Metal was getting close. We grabbed the food." He could see her mind working. "Why?"

How the hell was he going to explain why he wanted to go there? "I want to check it out."

"You're serious?" she folded her arms. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked.

John's lips curled inwards and he breathed out of his nose. A sign of a conundrum. What the hell would he tell her?

"Listen." he started before pausing again. "There's something I need to find out."

She stared at him, a look of skepticism covering her face. He stood up and folded his arms.

"Look. I need to get out there. I will explain everything to you afterwards." He waited for an answer. He could feel his heart colliding with his ribs. How risky could this be, explaining where and when he's from? John had to take the risk.

She stood up looking down at the ground. Her eyes then found his. "You promise?" she asked.

He nodded. "I do."

"Okay." she said, not with confidence, but it was enough for John now. He needed a way to get there.

This wasn't the world he was used to. No matter how many times his mother told him the stories that Kyle would tell her, he could never imagine this kind of destruction. No amount of stories, training, or preparation could prepare him for the sight of post apocalyptic Los Angeles.

He gripped the plasma rifle tightly in his hands, his nerves were acting up. John looked down at his rifle, his knuckles were well defined and turning white. He could feel his throat dry out due to his nerves. He desperately tried to moisten his mouth with the remaining saliva, but no use. A dry mouth is the result of his nerves.

No building remains completely intact, the steel debris is scattered across the floor with the remaining foundations of the building complementing the gray sky. There was no beauty left. Nature was scorched by Judgment Day's destructive weapons, the artificial splendor of mankind is left to collapse.

_No beauty._

He needed to get his mind off of this. The tension was going to get him killed. His eyes moved from the machine created disaster to the girl beside him.

Allison. Not Cameron.

It still boggled his mind to see Cameron's human counterpart, but deep inside it pained him. Would she suffer the same fate as the Allison Cameron encountered? He shook his head of the morbid thought and glanced at her one more time, trying to with a positive thought in his head. She walked with some comfort in her feet, obviously used to this environment, but she still had an alertness in her step and face. She turned and caught him staring.

He tried to force a smile back at her.

"You okay, John?" she asked innocently.

He shook his head. "I-I I'm fine. I'm sorry. Just a little on edge."

She smirked. "Keep the edge. Metal could be out here."

Tension. Multitudes of it, the feeling of being here, in the future he dreaded with metal possibly surrounding them.

"It's coming up, John." She spoke, pointing with her rifle toward their destination.

He simply nodded as they approached.

"We're here." she announced.

They stood in an empty spot, the ground covered in debris. He smirked to himself. His mother hid the bunker underground. Just like she did in Mexico. He knew it was right beneath, but he couldn't reveal that to Allison. He had to play dumb.

He looked around and feigned confusion. "Where is it?"

Allison smiled. She started taking steps toward him. She stopped right in front of him. He could feel her breath, he took a step back. He seemed a little perplexed waiting for her answer.

Another smile appeared on her face. She lowered her rifle and tapped it through the debris. A hollow metal sound resonated.

"Underneath you."

_I knew that already. _He shook his head.

The two removed the debris and then the metal door without too much difficulty. John jumped down and looked up at Allison offering his hand.

She smiled. "Thanks." she said.

Her hand. It was warm. It was one of the only comforting thing going on for him right now.

He helped her down until he heard her feet hit the ground.

Allison plopped down. "Thanks again."

John looked around, there were weapons still down here, but nothing else of interest. He sighed to himself.

_Did I desperately try to find something out of this?_

He took another step and poked the rifle down into the ground to lean on it. Another hollow metal sound echoed through their ears. Allison turned around from examining the weapons and walked up beside John. Without speaking, they both removed the dirt to reveal a chain, they pulled on the chain and uncovered another level beneath the thin metal door.

Allison took her flashlight out and jumped down.

"C'mon, John!" she instructed.

He nodded, jumped, and entered the next level. The light from her flashlight opened up the darkness.

"Take this." Allison instructed as she handed him her spare flashlight.

"Thanks." he responded, the clicking sound followed by an addition of more light.

He shone his light revealing more of the lower level of this bunker. There wasn't much. Just some more weapons, but more destructive this time. The wall of decorated with RPG's, and heavy machine guns. On the floor John found more explosives. Soon the weapons stopped appearing and was replaced with computers.

_If this was my mother's doing, I wonder who helped her find computers._ He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Technologically savvy his mother was not. But could he blame her? After what machines did to her? To him? How could he embrace it? Because he grew up with it, it was his generation's foundation. The expansion of technology.

He continued shining the light until he reached the corner which contained a cardboard box for company. He opened it and the first item he saw was a picture.

It was a picture of his mother.

She looked young. The faded picture showed her in the seat of a vehicle, a headband on around her forehead. An eighties haircut decorated her head, she looked determined, stricken with a reality that could be coming.

He found some audiotapes next and a tape recorder. He continued digging through the box. He heard the crinkle of paper in his hand. It was a note. A handwritten note from his mother.

_Dear John,_

_ I told you I'd stop it. But the truth is, there is only so much I can accomplish now. I put all my effort in raising you so you could do what you are destined to do. Lead. I'm sure you read this with disappointment, and I'm sorry. I hate to see when disappointment covers your face._

_ These weapons and computers were gathered by Agent Ellison and I. I wanted to let you know, so your grudge against him can disappear. It wasn't his fault I was caught, that all of these transpired._

_ John. You are the only one who can stop this. I wish the last time I saw you wasn't you disappearing from me. I love you, John._

_ Love,_

_ Your mother, Sarah_

John could feel his vision blur as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't realize that Allison was behind him though.

"Your mother prepared this stuff for you?" she asked.

He turned around crumpling the note and throwing it back into the box.

His shocked look locked eyes with her perplexed one.

"Who are you, John?"

_Who am I?_


	3. Battle in a Bunker

Thank you for all the feedback and continuing motivation. I appreciate it deeply. So here is the second chapter, I hope you all enjoy it. It was fun writing. I know you all want Jameron, it will happen, but there needs to be an intriguing build to it. A John/Cameron/Allison interaction is possible in my ever changing story arc. But, be patient, it will happen. Don't worry. :) Now, to the second chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 2: Battle in a Bunker

"Who are you?" Allison asked John again, her grip on her rifle getting tighter.

John walked to her right, Allison mirrored him, her mouth agape and hair in her face. Even with her wavy locks in her face, John could see the alert in her eyes.

John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He put his hand up trying to calm her down. "My name is John Connor."

"I know that much." she answered heading towards the box. Allison grabbed the crumpled note and opened it up. The yellow colored paper's inked words showed cracks from age.

Allison read part of the letter again and again out loud to John. "I put all my effort in raising you so you could do what you're destined to do."

"Lead..." John whispered remembering every word his mother wrote to him. His face confronted the wall, his eyes closed tight.

Her bottom teeth peeked upon her bottom lip. She stole a glance at the wrinkled letter before looking at the back of John's head.

"John." she said firmly.

"John." one more time...

He knew he had to come clean with her. He did promise. He knew she'd bring it up.

"Please tell me what the hell is going on?" her voice had demand behind it.

She asked as politely as she could in the situation. John knew that the tension in her voice wasn't intentional. He had to explain himself.

John's lip shivered before speaking. "Allison..."

Her head moved up. She was eye level again with John as he took one step closer.

"You're right. My mother wrote that note and prepared all of this for me." his eyes were on her now. "She trained me since I was born to be a fighter. She trained me for the War Against the Machines."

Her eyebrows scrunched closer towards each other. "How did she know about the war? Judgment Day?" she asked, critical of John's sudden admittance.

"Before I was born, and once again when I was only a child, Skynet sent their machines after me." He looked down.

"They sent a machine after me before I was born and after I was born, Allison. They wanted me dead. To never exist." he stopped for a second, he opened his mouth to continue, but Allison interjected, anxious from John's words.

"Why?" she asked, anxiety stained the word.

"Because..." he paused. "I defeat Skynet. I lead the human race against the war against Skynet."

Allison just stared at John with her mouth open. "I don't believe you." she shook her head. "How is that possible? You're as old as I am!"

"Allison, listen. How do you think I survived those machines? I sent someone back each time, to save me."

"Sent someone back?" she felt overwhelmed now.

"Time travel technology, developed by Skynet." he added.

She laughed. "Sounds like something out of those science fiction books I read, and those movies Kyle told me about."

John frowned. He didn't find humor in any of this. "Your name is Allison Young. You we're raised in Palmdale, California. Judgment Day took place when you were just three years old..." he faded off.

Her smile disappeared. Her rifle slipped down her arm as the strap rubbed against her sleeves.

"How do you know that?" now she was flabbergasted.

"A friend. Someone I sent back to protect me." he looked at her, with intent. "Now do you believe me?"

She stared back. Allison could see through his eyes. How could he be lying? Those eyes held so much truth in their irises. But how could a story so outlandish be true?

Her walkie-talkie screeched before a voice came on. She knew who it was.

So did John.

It was Derek.

"Allison, where are you? Metal is closing in on our bunker!"

John swallowed his saliva as Allison frantically grabbed the small piece of technology, gripping it tightly in her hand, she pressed the button.

"At the bunker Kyle and I found. I'll be there ASAP! Young out." she put it back on her belt. A stone cold look was now on her face. "We gotta go, John. We'll talk about this later." She ran out of the bunker. "C'mon!" she waved her hand.

He nodded gripping his rifle.

_John, it's time to go._

_ Her voice echoed in his head. And it wouldn't leave him alone. Nor did he want it to._

_ It was all he had right now._

Their boots collided with years of debris that was violently taken to the ground, fell gently after the fallout, and from battles against human and machine. John stayed close but behind Allison. He didn't want her to see his face. Even though she would eventually know about his doings, he felt relieved to get this off his chest to someone that wasn't his mother or Cameron, but he knew the look on his face was something he wanted to keep to himself. It was vulnerability. He couldn't show it.

John opened his mouth to take in more air. Running was one thing, but running towards attacking metal was another.

"I still don't believe you, John." Allison said, but this time with less confidence in her mouth. John could hear the breaths she took as she spoke.

He didn't answer at first, he continued running with his mouth slightly agape trying to think of an appropriate answer.

He couldn't. "Let's talk about this later. Let's help them out first."

She nodded. She knew he was right.

Gunfire and screams.

They entered John's ears and stayed there, haunting him. He swallowed his saliva involuntarily as he looked towards the base.

They were here.

Their feet came to halt as they paused for one second.

"John. It's time to go."

_John. It's time to go._

_ John. It's time to go..._

"John!"

He shook his head. She haunted his thoughts when he least expected it.

"Sorry, Allison." It was hard not to say Cameron.

They put their plasma rifles up and headed in.

John cautiously entered with Allison behind him. He looked down to see several bodies, human and dog alike. He turned his head away and looked at a mural painted on the wall.

_Hang in there, baby!_

He recognized the phrase, but it was covered in plasma burns. Scorched by the metal that had entered these people's only home. The only place they could only try to find some sanctuary from the war.

"Come on, John." Allison whispered to him as she pointed forward, still holding the rifle up.

John nodded and followed her. He shook his head to himself.

He felt overwhelmed. He tried being brave by entering first, but the sight of death stopped him in his tracks.

_How can I be a leader?_

Another scream shook him from his self-deprecating reverie.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he responded.

She kept her eyes on him for a moment longer before nodding.

They continued down the narrow corridor making sure to examine each open room they found. A shine of their flashlights on the rifles exposed each room, but they left their memories with images they'd rather have not seen.

John looked away after the last room as he tip toed down the corridor coming to the corner.

Allison stopped. "John." she whispered.

He turned around and followed the voice into the last room before the corridor turned left. He saw Allison kneeling near a wounded soldier. His mouth opened slightly at the sight. He breathed from his mouth after the scent of blood entered through his nose. The organic metal smell of it was never pleasant to him.

"He's alive, John." she said. Her voice combining with the wounded soldier's coughs.

He coughed again. "I tried to stop it..." his sentence stop with another violent escape from his mouth. "God damn metal."

Allison leaned him back against the wall. "It's okay. You did your best, but you need to relax right now."

John gritted his teeth.

_How many have died? Too many._

John headed for the door, but her voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?" she asked with panic in her voice.

"To stop it." he said calmly.

"Are you kidding me? You're going to get yourself killed." She responded standing up.

John took a deep breath and stared at the soldier who now coughed up his own blood.

"Stay with him. He needs some help." Before she could answer he was gone.

"John!" she yelled futilely.

John held his plasma rifle tightly. The flashlight attached to it continued shining its light, but it bounced off all the walls. He was frantic, he needed to find it.

The screams were louder now along with the plasma fire. He could hear cries from children underneath the crackling of fire and plasma blasts.

He ran through the next door into an open area. John came to a sudden stop holding the rifle up, examining the room.

_Remember what your mother taught you._

_ Remember what she taught you._

He ducked down, scurrying between the desks and tables that populated the open common area. The lights flickered on and off in this area he noticed.

"The power is still on." he whispered to himself.

_120 seconds._

He stood on top of one of the tables and ripped the light fixture out of the ceiling, the sparks danced on his face. He squinted as the brightness blinded him, but he found the power cord. John tugged at it. The scrape of the insulation surrounding the wires rubbed up against ceiling still sparking. It dangled in the air above his table.

He turned his head.

There was a noise.

There he saw it, those ominous red eyes down the opposite corridor he came down. John gulped before jumping behind the desk, hiding underneath the open space under it.

The sound of its metallic mechanical movements drew closer. He closed his eyes and listened for the sound of its feet making contact with the floor. The sound filled his ears, it was right on top of him. He opened his eyes to see its feet underneath the desk pass him.

John jumped up onto the desk dropping his rifle and grabbing the insulated cord. Before the terminator could turn around, he pounced on it, jabbing it with the cord.

The machine's eyes went dark and it fell to the ground. John smiled to himself as he headed towards its head, but the smile quickly diminished.

"Shit." he whispered. He didn't have a screwdriver.

Patting his jacket and pants, he realized there was no screwdriver on him. Panic set in.

_Less than a minute._

He got up and grabbed the rifle and pointed it at its head.

Click.

Did he really walk around outside with the machines with the safety on? And where the hell was the safety.

Sweat dripped down his brow.

_Less than thirty seconds now._

He groaned in frustration and nervousness. He took the rifle and beat the butt of it on the head of the terminator.

"Come on. Come on!" he yelled with anxiety.

_Fifteen seconds._

The head started to move, sights of red filled its eyes.

_Less than ten seconds._

"Need this?" John looked as a screwdriver entered his sights.

He looked up at Allison before opening the CPU port, the pressure releasing as the cover dropped to the ground. he could hear the machine power as he pulled the CPU out of its head. He took a deep breath before seeing its arm in the air, fingers open, prepared to grabbed its foe.

John scurried away from the terminator and looked up at Allison.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked.

She just stared back at him, the smallest nod of her head was visible.

John stood up and grabbed the rifle.

"You never showed me the safety on this thing." he muttered.

She blushed with embarrassment, but mostly guilt and dread.

"I'm sorry. That could've killed you." Allison cried. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. It didn't kill me." he said staring at her.

She smiled.

He smiled back, a full teeth smile with a small laugh. Her hand came towards him. He watched as it touched the rifle.

"The safety's right here." Another smile filled her lips.

"Thanks." John responded.

The corridor they came from filled with the sounds of boots clashing with the floor, in a random rhythm. John and Allison looked and breathed a sigh of relief.

Derek came to a halt with a couple of other resistance members behind. They lowered their weapons. Allison's mouth formed a smile and walked up to Derek.

"Der-"

"Allison! Where the hell did you go? You left the bunker without verification with me and the commanding officers? And with him?" he pointed at John who still stood near the terminator.

"Don't get mad at her. It wasn't her idea." he paused and stared at the faces and eyes that pierced him. "It was mine." he said with reluctance.

Derek tilted his head, his eyes now filled with hostility instead of the intrigue before.

He walked towards John with determination in his step.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he stopped right in front of him. "You're a lousy civilian. What were you doing on the surface with a Resistance member?"

Allison stepped in between the two. "Derek, stop it!" She pushed the two apart and turned her head back and forth between the two, her faced covered in desperation, her hair hitting her in the face.

"I don't know if you didn't notice, but there is a terminator on the ground. John stopped it. By himself." she stared at Derek. John's mouth remained slightly open, his bottom teeth showing, anxious for a response.

"How the hell did he do that?" Derek asked.

"I electrocuted him. Then I removed his chip." John said as he held the chip out at Derek.

"Who the hell are you?" Derek asked looking at John up and down in bewilderment.

_Same question._

_ Different person._

__As always, leave me feedback, please! It's the best motivation.


	4. Nocturne in C Sharp Minor

_I want to thank you for all the feedback and suggestions. I didn't realize how many people loved my first multi-chapter foray into science fiction fan fiction. I know some of you wanted a continuation to Tomorrow is Fickle, but I feel like the ending I had trapped me in a corner. I couldn't do it. Now, that I feel a little more confident in my writing, I feel like I can truly write a better story, not perfect, but better._

_I know Jallison isn't a favorite coupling, believe me, I'm a Jameron person one hundred percent. But in order for Cameron to return, John must get close to Allison. This doesn't mean romantically, please keep that in mind. Once again thank you for your feedback, please keep it coming, it truly motivates me to write. You guys rule._

Chapter 3: Nocturne in C Sharp Minor

Derek held the chip in his hand rotating it with his fingers. He examined the chip with awe. The one thing that is truly irreplaceable, its mind was in his hands. As he turned it, the flickering lights and exposed cord reflected off the coltan on the chip's foundation. He lowered the chip, his eyes following. He stared at the small squares with the straight valleys in between. He touched the end of the chip, the sharp teeth almost punctured his skin at the tight grip.

Now both of his hands turned the chip in his head. He could feel the cold of coltan in his right hand, and the heat from chip in his left. It still fresh from being removed, processing countless amounts of information, producing cognitive thoughts.

Now his cognitive thoughts were interrupted.

"Derek."

He looked up.

"Sorry." he mumbled. Derek lowered the chip in his right hand. His eyes met with John's and then Alison's.

John looked at Derek's right hand, rotating the chip in his fingers still.

"John saved the bunker, Derek. He saved all of the civilians here." Allison praised with a smile on her face.

John tried to stay stoic, but he looked away. He was never a cocky person, but modesty didn't come from his natural personality, but the responsibility he had to take on.

Modesty and sheer apprehension and denial. Who would want to be the leader of all mankind, saving the human race from extinction?

No one.

"He did all this? Why did you do it that way? Why not use the rifle?" he criticized, still incredulous at the fact that a teenage boy defeated a terminator.

"The rifle," John put extra somewhat malicious emphasis on rifle, "didn't fire. I couldn't find the safety..." he softened at the end of his defensive retort.

"There is no safety." Allison interjected. "They were designed for the machines. Why would they need a safety? Precise and accurate. They don't make mistakes. No human error, no need for a safety."

"Then it's busted. That leaves us with four." Derek sighed shaking his head.

"Four? You only have four?" John said with disbelief.

"No, now we have four. We had five." Now it was Derek's turn to be emphasis on words.

John grimaced and made sure Derek saw it.

"We stole those off terminators we managed to kill," he stated. Not proudly, but they had to survive.

"Why don't you fight? Why don't you stop running?" He responded. John wished his mother could hear him now.

_I'll stop it._

"Why don't you stop it," he paused, "stop Skynet?" His voice was raised. He was breathing deeper.

Derek took a deep breath trying to calm the situation down. "We don't have the forces. We're scattered, we have no united resistance."

Allison chimed in. "It's like they all lost hope." Her voice was had an overcast of sadness.

John put a hand through his hair. How much of the future did he change by jumping forward? Did he do more damage than good just to chase a cyborg?

No.

She wasn't just a cyborg.

_I love you. I love you, please I love you, John and you love me!_

_ The look on her face was one of desperation, but he swore he saw honesty in her usually stoic demeanor. The roar of the truck engine entered the background once Cameron's once pierced his eyes._

_ I love you._

_ The only thing that could snap him of his thoughts surrounding the cyborg was his mother's voice. He pulled the chip right out of her head, the look of plea on her face disappeared. Cameron's cheek protruded as her head sank in between the two trucks' grills._

_ I love you, John and you love me..._

"John, you okay?"

_Cameron?_

It was Allison.

Derek and Allison's eyes were on him. He needed to stop thinking so deeply during this tense moments.

"We'd unite if we could get to them. The terminator patrols get intense towards the halfway point. The hidden bunker we found the food in is about halfway. It's as far as we gotten." he said.

"How do you know they're there, then?" John asked.

"We're not completely cut off, we have basic communications. Our audio communications have died, but we have used other forms, like telegram and morse code. The wires are still up... miraculously." Derek answered.

"They're too frightened to come over, just like we are. We don't have the man power or defenses to do it. We know there is terminator patrols there, but we don't know why." Allison added.

"Then I'm going to find out." John said.

"You're going out there again," Allison inquired. She moved from standing near Derek to standing next to John. "I'm going with you."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Another voice came from the entrance.

It was Kyle Reese.

John watched as his father walked towards him, just like the first time he saw him. He walked in slowly and calmly. His eyes didn't leave John's.

"John Connor?" He said.

John stood towards him and looked right at him. This was the second time he saw his father and it was still as monumental as the first time. This time, though, he finally spoke to him.

"Yes." He answered.

_Yes... dad, father, pa... Words he rarely said. Words he never got to say to anyone. Words that never were never answered._

His eyes went to the downed metal. "How'd you do that?"

"I electrocuted him." He answered.

"It. It's not a 'him'." Derek interjected. The venom in his voice clearly evident.

"Electrocution only brings them down for a couple minutes at most." Kyle argued. "It isn't the most effective."

Derek stared at the chip again. The shine of the coltan once again entered his eyes. How did this kid know about this? They didn't know about the chip in their heads and they had to know more than this teenage boy...

"He took this out of its head, Kyle." Derek handed him the chip.

Kyle rotated it in his hand just like Derek did. His eyes opened wide with his lips parting ways exposing his teeth.

"It's the truly irreplaceable part of the machine. Without it, it can't function, Kyle." Allison told him. She remembered what John said earlier.

A smile crept on John's lips from that. He only knew Allison for a short time, but he knew she was loyal to him. It was flattering really.

Kyle gave the chip back to Derek and looked at John.

"Where are you planning on going?" He asked John.

John swallowed. He was communicating... with his father. Surreal.

"Back to the hidden bunker you guys took the food from." John answered.

"You mean the one you took Allison to, " he stopped. "without telling us?"

If he was to ever be reprimanded for an action by his father... this is what it must felt like. Except for breaking a window with a baseball, he took a soldier to a bunker near Skynet territory being considered a complete stranger.

Kyle stared at him and Allison. "I'm not too sure what your story is, Connor. The soldiers here think you're just a random civilian, but I know there is something more to you. I don't know what. You could be something more, someone that could help us. Or you could be a Gray for all I know. But, I only have one way to find out. What is your next step?" He asked John. "What's next in your plan?"

"I'm going back to the bunker," he paused. "It's going to be tough to believe, but my mother left it for me. She knew about Judgment Day before it was going to happen." John looked down. How would he and Derek react to this story?

"How did she know about Judgment Day?" Derek asked with criticism drowning his words.

"Skynet sent machines back in time to kill her and then try to kill me ten years after." John answered.

Derek and Kyle both stared at him.

"You expect me to believe that? Why would they come after you?" Derek asked almost laughing.

"I am suppose to lead mankind to victory against Skynet." John answered.

"You? You're a kid." Derek scuffed.

Kyle remained silent, still taking this all in. John watched as Kyle's hand made its way to his chin with his fingers wrapping around his jaw.

"He may be just a kid, but he went to the bunker and remained undetected. I've never seen a regular tunnel rat do that."

"Bu-" Derek tried to interrupt.

"He also defeated the terminator, without getting a scratch, while we run after defeating one and losing many. There's obviously something there, like I said before." Kyle continued.

"But, like you said, he could be a Gray."

"But, unlike machines, we have instinct and we can trust. If we don't use those traits, how are we any different from them?" Kyle answered turning towards Derek.

John could feel the tension between the two. All over him.

"Go to your mother's bunker and see what else is there, and if you can, get some reconnaissance on those patrols. We could you use your 'expertise'," Kyle told John. "I advise not heading out until tonight."

"Come on, John. You should get some rest." Allison gestured to John to follow him.

"And John..." He turned to look at his father one more time.

"I know I can't stop her from following you there." Kyle's eyes went to Allison who smiled at the comment.

"She's a good girl. Don't let anything happen to her. I don't want to use anyone else." He said sternly.

John simply nodded and turned around.

Quite the first serious father son talk...

_John's eyes were still red as he laid in his small kid bed decorated with an innocence he never really had._

_ Cameron didn't kill Riley, Jesse did, but it still hurt. He cared for the girl, it was the first girl he had any romantic involvement with. Did he love her? No, but it still hurt. Derek's words echoed through his head that felt so empty right now._

_ "We all die for you..."_

_ Boy was he right._

_ He wiped his eyes again as another tear formed at the bottom of them again. John wiped his face as the two tears escaped his eyes. He lifted his head as he heard footsteps. He begged someone wasn't heading towards his room._

_ He listened carefully as the shoes hit the hard wood floors of the narrow hallway. The second floor could give away anyone or anything walking in the hallway._

_ Probably why his mother chose the house._

_ The footsteps stopped, but near his door. He knew it was his mother heading into her room for bed._

_ All the training came into use once in a while._

_ He didn't want to see his mother for the rest of the night, not because he was mad at her, he hated crying in front of her. He didn't want anyone to see that._

_ He sat up and turned around, his legs fell at the edge of the bed with his feet touching the ground and stood up. He needed to get up, he needed a drink._

_ The light of the refrigerator lit up the entire kitchen as he grabbed the juice out of it. He took the container, opened it, and took a sip out of it._

_ "I thought your mother told you not to do that."_

_ He almost spit it out as he headed towards the dining room. He turned the lights on to see Cameron seeing at the dining room table._

_ "Yeah, well, she's not here right now." His voice was harsh, but she didn't change her face. It stayed the same._

_ "That doesn't mean you should be doing that." Cameron retorted._

_ "I just don't see how it will affect me as the leader of the human resistance." He sarcastically said. More poison exited his mouth._

_ She tilted her head at him. He avoided her stare and saw the piece of looseleaf paper on the table, he could see writing on it._

_ He put the juice container on the table with took Cameron's attention. She watched the liquid move back and forth in the container._

_ "What are you writing?" John asked._

_ Her eyes removed themselves from the settling liquid to John's eyes. She could see the red._

_ "It's a note, for Riley." she stated calmly._

_ John's red eyes opened. "F-for Riley?" he asked softly._

_ "Yes, people write notes for people when they die. Sometimes crying is not enough. I know you cared for her and cried, but I thought it wasn't enough." Cameron folded the note precisely and put it in the center of the table._

_ She stood up and walked up to John. Her face was close to his._

_ "I'm sorry for your loss."_

_ She walked passed him and disappeared up the stairs._

John's mind was going in circles. He felt like he was unstop moving since getting here and this was the first time he was able to be by himself uninterrupted. The first time he sat in one of these dull rooms, his solitude was interrupted by Allison.

Allison.

It all hit him now how much she reminded him of Cameron, just physically. Their personalities of course were different. Of course he thought of Cameron when seeing Allison, but he was able to keep it in the background. Not anymore. It has come into the foreground. He couldn't ignore it.

His eyes teared up again.

_I love you. I love you, please. I love you, John and you love me._

Never had such comforting words be so haunting to John. He involuntarily made a noise as more tears cleared the dirt streaks on his face.

He loved her.

He finally admitted it.

John Connor is in love with something designed to kill him.

He was in love with Cameron, his terminator protector.

He turned on his side and wiped his eyes. The worst part is he never got to tell her and she told him.

But could he believe her?

_John looked at Cameron as the sounds of a shooter video game filled the background._

_ "So how often do you lie?" He asked._

_ She turned her head and looked at him. "When the mission requires it."_

_ "Do you lie to me?" He asked, hoping the answer was no, but he knew better. Another explosion and some audible frustration from the gamers entered his ears before her answer._

_ "Sometimes."_

_ Sometimes. What kind of answer is that?_

_ "About important things?" He dug the hole deeper._

_ "Yes. Important things."_

Could he believe her? He had to. He wanted to. He trusted her. Completely.

Cause she promised.

_John pointed the gun as Cameron sat up. Her hair was a mess. She was covered in thermite, but some of it fell to her lap as she sat up. She looked like she just woke up... if she ever slept that is._

_ Her eyes met his._

_ "Are you here to kill me John?" She asked._

_ He answered quickly, but the words came out as calmly as they could. "Are you here to kill me?"_

_ There was a pause. It felt like forever to him._

_ "...No."_

_ John let go of the handle of the Glock pistol and pointed it at Cameron._

_ "Promise?"_

_ She took the gun and immediately raised it towards John._

_ He didn't look up, but he knew he was being stabbed with looks from Charley, Derek, and his mother._

_ But she gave the gun back._

_ "Promise." She muttered._

He had feelings for a girl who he didn't get to tell how he felt. It sounded like typical teenage problems, but his transcended time, and he loved a cyborg that was sent to kill him.

Not so typical anymore.

But his life never was.

He stared up at the ceiling. John wondered what was written on Cameron's note for Riley. He knew whatever it was, it probably made her more than a machine.

It made her more human.

The one thing that made her different for her organic counterpart, Allison. Now Allison re-entered his mind.

The two looked alike, they looked identical, but of course their personalities were completely different. Allison had a positive attitude, despite living in tunnels hiding from the machines. Cameron, despite being one of the most advanced killing machines in the world, came off as naive at times. It was appealing to John. When "Uncle Bob" tried to learn, it was like talking to a father figure, but with Cameron, it was different. He couldn't place his finger on it, but there was something endearing.

He loved Cameron. He wished he told her, but he was finally able to admit to himself. He wanted to scream it aloud, but he held it back.

But, he cared about Allison. The first person he could talk to and confide to. He hasn't shared everything with her, and he knew he shouldn't. If his mother was here, she wouldn't be happy.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

John looked towards the faded metal door.

"Come in," he spoke. His voice was followed by the squeaks of the metal door opening.

Allison's head poked through the opening, her hair swayed back and forth. The wavy locks of brown waved at John.

"Hello." She simply said closing the door behind her.

"Hey." he answered, but it was covered up by the noise of the metal door before climaxing into the sound of it closing. The echo of the door closing went down the entire corridor.

"Can you sleep?" She asked walking closer to John's cot.

_"Are you busy?" Cameron asked._

"No." John simply answered.

_"No." John felt uneasy. She dressed like that on purpose, white tank top and provocatively colored bra underneath._

Allison came closer and sat on the floor, Indian style, a smile on her face. John sat up so he could see her.

_John felt the weight of Cameron depress the part of the bed she laid down upon. He felt uncomfortable. Real uncomfortable._

"Me neither," she said. She leaned her arms on her legs and placed her head on top of her arms.

John felt a smile crept on his face. Despite the mission they were undertaking, she looked so innocent. It made him feel like a normal teenager... almost.

"Do you think there is anything else left in your mother's hidden bunker?" She asked. It seemed like she was forcing conversation, like she didn't have anything to say, but didn't want to be alone. She needed comfort.

He was her comfort.

John sat up, you could hear it in his voice. "Well, knowing my mother, which of I course I do, then yes. There is something else left in there. I know there is." John looked away from Allison and stared at the wall.

"Do you miss your mother?" She asked. Her head moved away from her curled up arms.

He thought about the last moments of seeing her. Her imaged distorted by the blue energy that surrounded.

_"I love you."_

_ "I'll stop it."_

His eyes glistened with tears. "Yes," he paused. "of course I do." He stopped there, he didn't want to cry in front of her. It wasn't something he'd want her to see. He couldn't look weak, not in front of her.

"What about your father?" She asked.

_"My father sells tractors. What about yours?"_

He paused at the statement. John wanted to tell her about Kyle, how he sent him back in time to save his mother. How he fell in love with her before ever traveling through time. How Kyle fell in love with his mother from the stories he told Kyle, from the photograph he gave to Kyle.

"I never met my father." He lied. It was the truth until a few days ago. "I sent my father back in time to save my mother from a terminator. He died saving her. He was a hero."

_"Your father was a police officer. He died apprehending a criminal. He was a hero."_

_ "...and he's always dead."_

But he wasn't dead, not yet, not right now. John was a hallway aways from him now.

John felt a hand touch his leg. He stiffened up at first, but relaxed as he saw Allison's kind features.

A girl so sweet didn't deserve this fate.

No one did.

He curled his lips upwards. "Thanks."

She nodded and smiled.

"How about your parents, Allison?" He didn't want to ask, but he was curious. The conversation was already treading morbid territory.

John could feel her hand rub against the material of his pants, slowly making its way off of his leg and back towards her.

"My father was an architect. He taught me how to draw," she stopped. "you saw the mural near the entrance," she swallowed and looked back at John. "I did that."

John smiled. "It's very good."

She turned her head and looked at the floor. "My mother was a music teacher. She'd sit for hours and listen to Chopin."

"Chopin." he involuntarily said.

"You know it?" She asked.

"Y-yeah. A friend of mine danced to it," he faked a smile. "She hid the fact that she could dance. She'd practice when she thought no one was looking."

"Why? If I was a great dancer, I'd let everyone know." She responded, a positive tone in her voice. The first time since entering his room.

He faked a laugh, but no smile came to his face. Allison reacted instantly.

"I'm sorry for joking, John," she had a guilty look on her face. "I'm sure you miss her so much."

_More than you'll ever know..._

"I do." he swallowed after making that comment.

It was silent for a moment.

"I barely remember what my mother's music sounded like. It had a haunting melody. It was so light, but it felt like the world was on your shoulders when you listened to it." She whispered.

"That's how music works." He responded. Being no music expert, he didn't know what to say. He knew how to work an M-16, not play a piano.

"I guess so."

It was silent again. John stared up at ceiling and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes...

Minutes had gone by...

He opened his eyes and sat up. "Allison..."

She was asleep. He got up and picked her up. Her head tilted back as he carried her in his arms. Man, she weighed less than Cameron. He placed her gently onto his cot. Her head rolled on the small pillow as his hands slid away from underneath her. She then turned onto her side, her face toward John. He couldn't help but smile. She looked so peaceful, all the strain of living in a future being hunted from machines washed away from her face when she fell asleep. It put him at ease.

John sat down on the floor and leaned his head on the cot. It wasn't comfortable, but at least Allison was sleeping peacefully. That put him in comfort.

He closed his eyes and easily fell asleep for the first time in a while.

_John walked into his house, proudly bringing a girl home. He couldn't wait to see his mother._

_ "Mom! I want you to meet someone!" He yelled. His fingers were still intertwined._

_ He heard her boots make contact with the hard wood of the steps. She came into view. She didn't seem happy._

_ "Who are you?" she asked rudely._

_ "Mom, this is Cameron. From school."_

_ "Hello." she spoke calmly, a stoic expression on her face._

_ "Let's talk, John. Just you and me." she nodded towards the kitchen._

_ He walked away and let go of Cameron's hand. He made eye contact without her before turning his head towards the kitchen._

_ "That's not who you should be with, John." Sarah said._

_ He got angry. "What do you mean, not who I should be with?!" He was upset._

_ Sarah walked towards the door. "I found you someone." Her voice was distorted now, almost completely unrecognizable._

_ The door opened up. The girl who walked in looked just like Cameron, but she had a smile on her face. Something Cameron rarely did._

_ "This is Allison, John. She's perfect for you." Sarah said, her voice getting deeper now. Her eyes glowing red._

_ "No! I want to be with Cameron!"_

_ He turned around and walked into the living room._

_ "Where's Cameron? Cameron?!" He yelled._

"CAMERON!" He yelled.

John picked his head up quickly from his legs. He heard a gasp and turned to see Allison sitting up staring at John.

John stood up and walked away, but Allison followed.

"John," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" She said softly.

"I'm fine." he said while breathing heavily. He wiped his head to get rid of the sweat before it entered his eyes.

She just stood there with a caring look on her face.

"John?" she said with a fragile tone.

"Come on, Allison. It's time to go." He headed for the door leaving her behind.

_I hope you enjoyed this. This was my favorite one to write so far, and it was the easiest. My brain just oozed words these past few days. I wanted to continue it, but I felt that was the perfect point to end it. Hope to read your reviews and suggestions. Thank you once again._


	5. Rising Hope

_UPDATE: I updated this chapter. It needed an edit. I added another item that John looks at while searching through the box. I needed to add it for the next chapter. Enjoy the update._

_Hello, folks! I am back with another chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it. With the more reviews I get, the more pressure I feel sometimes. I hope to not disappoint any of you. I've been increasing the lengths of the chapters finally too. I know that was a critique, so I have been adding more. Not unnecessary fluff, but integral things. As always, I hope you find time to review, critique, encourage, etc. You all have been too kind. Thank you. Enjoy._

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><p>Chapter 4: Rising Hope<p>

Does it ever rain in the future? The sky seemed like it stayed the same color day in and day out. It was just another bleak feature of the future. He looked up at the sky, a dull but dangerous gray sky stared back at him. John never minded the rain, it was comforting. It helped him remember he was human. It felt like it cleansed him when he really needed it.

These thoughts ran through his head, almost randomly and frantically. He didn't want to talk to Allison. The dream. Screaming Cameron's name and alarming her, awakening Allison from her peaceful slumber.

He kept his eyes forward. He hadn't said one word since leaving their bunker. It gave him a chance to completely take in the post Judgment Day surroundings. The only thing he could hear was her nearly silent breathing and the rhythmic steps they made on the rubble covering the ground.

The small crunching noises coming from below sounded like potato chips being stepped on. Man, he bet there were no more potato chips after Judgment Day.

_Man, my brain is really going all over the place. I'm thinking about chips while being surrounded by metal?_

"So, who's Cameron?" John stopped walking after hearing the question. Her voice was soft, almost with a tinge of regret for asking the question. Her tone got softer as the last words exited her mouth.

John's mouth open, his tongue poking the back of his bottom teeth. He closed his eyes and opened them again, directing them at Allison, right out of her view, though. He then continued walking.

"We can't stop moving," he said. "Come on."

Allison opened her mouth in protest, but stopped herself. Now wasn't the time. John was right. Allison continued walking behind John holding her assault rifle. Her fingers tapped the barrel of the rifle almost out of boredom.

John tapped the trigger guard of his assault rifle with his index finger as he continued looking around. He looked behind him to see Allison occupying her time by tapping the barrel of her gun with her fingers. He turned his head forward and took a breath in.

Allison spoke up again.

"I'm sorry for prodding, John. I didn't mean to upset you," she spoke softly again. "It's just..."

"It's okay, Allison," he interrupted her. "It's okay." He nodded his head a little too eagerly. "I get it," his eyes met hers. "It's okay," he said one more time.

She smiled at him.

"Thank you..."

..._for explaining..._

The sound of a search light paired with the brightness of it above. They both covered their eyes from the white light with their hands. Allison's hair blew back and sideways from the roar and power of the engines that fired up from the sky. John spit her hair out of his mouth before his eyes got used to the bright light.

"HK!" Allison yelled.

Allison's feet kicked rubble off the ground as she ran from the threat. John followed suit as he stared down the HK's front.

No eyes.

No nose.

No mouth.

No face.

It was a faceless killing machine that surveyed the air and spotted them. It reminded him of being in the desert, looking at the deceased cows when he was blinded by a similar machine in the air. But, he wasn't there. His mother wasn't next to him, the Derek he knew from that time was gone, and Cameron's chip was in the head of John Henry.

The two continued to run as the two engines got louder. John turned his head to see the two engines at the end of its wings rotate forward. His mouth opened with fear as he saw it come closer.

Their grips on the rifles got tighter and their heart rates went up. As the two ran, he could hear something underneath the engines powering up. He instinctively ran faster. The humming concluded with a loud blast and the ground exploding to his left. He and Allison watched as the dirt flew in the air. As it fell, it went outward. He squinted as the small stones and dirt stung his face.

John started to swerve left to right.

"Do what I do!" he yelled at Allison.

He didn't hear a response, but she followed his moves. The ground continued to fly up all around them. The two watched as the plasma blasts hit the ground around them. John could feel the hit of the plasma as it came down. The huge slower paced attacks stop and were replaced with something that sounded more frantic. More random.

"Machine plasma fire!" Allison yelled.

Now the ground flew up rapidly, almost sporadically. John and Allison shielded their faces from the rising ground with their arms, still gripping their rifles, they still ran in a zig zag formation, trying to dodge the fire.

Allison followed John's path with intent. She needed to keep up with him. With all the violent noise and her head pounding, she couldn't hear the plasma cannon charging up again. The HK fired it again and exploded between the two.

John turned around as rubble rained down upon him. He saw Allison covering her head with her rifle in the air. John could see the machine plasma fire destroying the ground up towards Allison.

"Allison! Run! Now!" John yelled.

Her eyes widened as she saw the HK's attack coming up towards her. John looked as the HK as it moved forward towards Allison. He ran towards her. Allison ran in a straight line, forgetting about her evasive techniques. The sound of the erupting ground and plasma blasts filled her ears until an abrupt burning pain hit her bottom right leg. The next thing she felt was the ragged ground below her contact with her entire body. The debris stabbed her face as she screamed in pain.

John headed towards her as the HK still moved forward. He looked at the two blinking lights on its tail move away from them as he headed towards her.

"Allison," he yelled. "Get up!" He stopped by her side slinging the rifle on his back. She straightened her arms as she tried to get up.

John looked back at the HK as it started to turn around. Its engines making noise to slow down to turn back around towards them.

"Come on, soldier. On your feet, soldier! On your feet," he yelled as he picked her up, his right arm around her shoulders.

The two moved as fast as they could. Allison groaned in pain as she held her right leg. John guided her to a huge pile of debris with some cover. He headed towards the giant leaning piece of debris. He could only imagine what its purpose was before this. It could have been the outside of a building, but right now it was their cover from the HK.

John placed Allison down gently against the huge piece of debris. He peeked out of the covering debris. He watched the HK's spotlight got brighter scanning for them. The engines hummed softly as it slowly moved through the sky looking for them. He looked back at Allison who gritted her teeth in pain. Her two hands grip down at her lower right leg. She was breathing heavily, a rugged whistling sound coming through her teeth.

John lifted her cuff of her pants to look at the wound. He could see smoke coming from the scorch mark on the pants near the wound. As he lifted the cuff, Allison whimpered as John carefully moved her cuff. He could hear the pants peel off of the wound. The heat of the plasma melting the pants to her skin.

John flinched at the sound and gasped at Allison's whimpering turned into crying. He finally got a good look at the wound. He looked at her calf, her crying taking a back seat to her wound. He stared at the laceration, a deep black color, burnt from the sheer heat of the plasma blast. The outside of the dash was a dark red, obviously blood.

"Doesn't look like their's an entrance wound, Allison. It looks like it grazed you." John said softly.

"Still hurts like hell," she responded.

John continued looking at the wound. It looked cauterized, the heat of course doing that to her. He finally made eye contact with her. Allison's teeth still showed from the pain. She was still crying.

"It hurts. It hurts. John, it hurts so bad," she said whimpering.

John watched her tears drop.

"Allison," he started. "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine." He rubbed her chin with his hand. He looked at the tears falling on her cheeks. The tears on each side of her face left streaks, clearing narrow paths from the random dirty patches on her face. The browned tears hit the ground, absorbed by the dirt.

He wiped her eyes smearing the dirt underneath her eyes. He stroked her hair and smiled. She stared at him and faintly returned the smile.

She simply nodded in response. She was calm now. Even the pain subsided a little.

John poked his head out of their hiding spot to see the HK rising in the air. It's engine turned completely horizontally. The roar of the engines increased and it took off, moving out of his sight. He could hear nothing after it left, but soon the sound of some glass shattering entered his ears from the sheer loudness of the engines of the HK.

"Come on," John started. "I'm going to help you up. My mother's bunker isn't too far away now. Maybe she left some medical supplies in there." he finished looking at her.

"Knowing your mother," she took a breath involuntarily from the pain. "She definitely left medical supplies in there." she exhaled.

He smiled at her at that comment. Despite their situation, she could always find humor in a situation. Something John admired.

"Let's go."

The rusted sound of the hatch doors echoed through the hidden bunker of Sarah Connor. John could barely see the ladder, but he didn't want to use the flashlight on his assault rifle to illuminate it. He relied on the moonlight. He picked Allison up bride style and carefully made his way down the ladder, one foot at a time on each rung. Allison put her arms around John's neck as they made their way down, afraid to fall. The last thing she wanted was to increase her injury frequency. The creaks of the ladder rungs started softly then got louder when John put his full weight on the ladder.

John placed Allison down and leaned her up against the wall. He quickly climbed up the ladder and closed the hatch. The darkness swarmed his and her eyes until the small click of the flashlight on his assault rifle queued the lights. He shined it at Allison first to make sure she was okay.

"You okay?" John asked.

She covered her eyes with her hand from the bright focused light from the flashlight.

"Yes, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't shine the flashlight at me AND point the rifle at me," she responded. Their was a scratch in her voice from the screaming and crying. It wore her voice down.

John took the flashlight off of her and started looking for another light source. He shined the flashlight on the old wooden shelves. John found cans of food.

"Well, if you're hungry, my mom saved a lot of canned goods," he said lightly.

"Food is good, medical supplies would be better, John," she said wincing in pain.

John turned around continuing to look. He made his way to the end of the wooden shelves. He found a lantern. He turned the switch on the lantern and it filled the room with an orange glow. It was an electric lantern.

He looked at Allison as the small shelter filled with an orange glow. Her lips spread slightly and her eyes widened. She moved her head from her left to her right taking in the lit up bunker.

Allison turned her attention towards John who was right next to her now. She looked at him kneel next to her with a small white box. It was dusty, with a facade of dirt covering it. The red cross in the center had faded, but she knew what it was. The click of the plastic tabs was followed by the cover opening.

John took the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide out and opened the top. He grabbed a few cotton balls from in the box. John placed the cotton ball on top of the bottle and turned it upside down and quickly turned it back all in one swift motion. Allison saw John head towards her wound, she moved away from him.

"I know, it's going to sting," John said with a comforting voice. "But, I have to clean it."

He gave her his free hand. She looked down on at his open hand and grabbed it. John dabbed the cotton ball on her plasma blast wound. He immediately heard her hiss in pain. He felt the pressure being applied to his hand. John looked down at her tightened grip on his hand.

"Good," John comforted her.

He got another cotton ball and dabbed it with hydrogen peroxide. he repeated the process on her wound. This time Allison didn't react as greatly as last time, getting used to the pain. John took his hand back from her and grabbed the bandages from the box. Soon her wound was wrapped up, the outline of her wound visible through the bandages from the blood staining the white wrapping around her leg.

"Thanks, John," Allison smiled.

"You're welcome," John responded before standing up.

It was quiet. The only sound was of John putting away the medical supplies. Allison kept her eyes as he moved through the small confines of the bunker. John looked at all the boxes lined up on the shelves underneath the canned goods. He kneeled down and opened a random box. The orange glow swarmed the inside of the box. John looked into the box and saw a small white square at the bottom. He picked it up and lifted it into the orange glow.

It was a picture of his mother. It looked like a surprise photo. Sarah was sitting in a jeep with a gas pump behind her and a panting dog beside her. She looked somewhat sad in the photo, but she was young. The melancholy feeling overwhelmed the whole picture, like she had the weight on her shoulders. He wondered what she was thinking about in that picture. Was it about her fate? About him? About his father, Kyle? Her eyes looked tired, like she had just lost someone close. He felt a tear fall down his face. John's mind wondered towards his mother. He tried hard to suppress her, but it was futile. He didn't suppress her out of loathing, but he couldn't function thinking about the mother of destiny. Everything she did for him, and all of the horrible things he put her through. The trivial teenage arguments about Riley... What he put her and Cameron through. He turned away and placed the photo in his jacket pocket. He quickly wiped his eyes and placed his hand back into the box to distract himself.

He picked up a square object. John lifted it out of the box to reveal a book. John gasped as he looked at the cover.

_The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_

_ By L. Frank Baum_

His fingertips rubbed the cover of the book slowly. Memories of his mother reading it in Spanish flooded his mind. He fingers stopped at Dorothy. He felt like her right now. While Dorothy went to the Wizard to return home, she still was in a far away land.

The future felt like a far away land. But, instead of the Lollipop Guild, there was terminators lurking around the land. Instead of witches, there was Skynet. But, Dorothy was still able to make her way to Oz. She found help in the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, something John needed to find, but he had it with Allison, Kyle, and Derek.

But, John forgot one more companion on Dorothy's quest.

The tin man.

_Cameron._

His mother's patronizing nickname for Cameron haunted his thoughts. He needed her. He missed her.

"She loved to dance," John whispered exiting his kneeling position. His feet touched the ground again.

Allison looked up at him. "Hmm?"

"She loved to dance," he said one more time. "She would practice when she thought no one was watching."

"Your friend," she asked. Not too sure where he was going with this.

John nodded.

"Cameron," Allison said. "Your friend who loved to dance is the girl in your dream?" she asked.

Not that it was too hard to figure out, or he did a good job of hiding it, but he couldn't hide it from Allison anymore.

He nodded. John covered his face with his hands. One hand left his face, but the other made its way to his mouth, his palm covering his lips.

"Yes, yes," he said in between small sobs. He brought air in through his nose forcefully trying to said his what he'd call weakness.

Allison used her arms to make her way to John. She slowly nudged herself over to John whose hands fell into the box. Allison leaned her back against the boxes and rubbed up against John to get his attention.

Allison was curious. She wanted to ask the one question that would enter any teenaged girl's mind, but she held back. It wasn't the time. She wasn't selfish, she was quite the opposite. She's been called one of the most caring people even though Judgment Day had changes the outlook of humans. She heard stories of small gangs of humans attacking others, even killing others just for some supplies. The world had changed, but Allison wouldn't.

"Do you miss her?" she asked tilting her head so John's eyes made contact with hers. Both their eyes were colored red from tears.

He nodded again. "Of course I do," he answered. He didn't know what to say next. "She saved my life."

Allison looked into his eyes. The red from tears mixed with his brown irises.

"Many times," he added. "But, I also saved hers."

She smiled at that. "Even then you were saving people."

John tried to curl his lips at that statement, but he knew about all the sacrifices people made around him.

_We all die for you, John._

The words came right from Derek Reese themselves.

_We all die for you..._

Words that brought tears every time and more when those words were proven true. Proven true from Riley, Charley, Derek, and even Cameron for sacrificing herself to help John Henry in the future for John.

"No," he shook his sad sadly. "I let more people die than saving them. Many people I held close got too close," he swallowed saliva. "People die when they get too close to me."

"John," she stared at him. She wasn't afraid to stare right at him. "If you are you say you are. And I believe you completely about what you've told me. They protected you because they wanted to. It wasn't your fault."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what it's like to be you, John. But, in the short time you've been here, you've made a difference. People will follow you, John. It's natural, but, you can't hold these feelings in, John. Grieving is normal. It makes you different from Skynet. From the machines. We need to see that."

John nodded slightly. "Ye-Yeah," was all he could get out.

The two sat in silence for the rest of the night.

John opened his eyes to the sight of light shining through the cracks of the hatch doors. The lantern went out. It must have been on a timer. He looked to his side to see Allison curled up on the floor. Despite being shot in the leg, she looked so peaceful while asleep.

John turned the flashlight on attached to his assault rifle and shined it on the boxes lined up on the bottom shelves. They were all unmarked, covered in a layer of dirt. The cardboard was wrinkled and weathered.

He put his hands in the box he left opened last night. He found of prized possession from his childhood, what else did his mother put in there? His arms and the items collided with the sides of the box and made a soft ruffling noise. John grabbed a pair of ballet shoes.

Of course they were Cameron's.

He placed them on the ground gently and continued looking through the box. John's hands touched something like paper. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. He slowly opened it to find another note from his mother:

_John,_

_ I left these boxes for you. They are not only possessions you found memorable, but me as well. I hope they bring you comfort in the dark future. Before Judgment Day, I gathered as much equipment as I could for you. If you read these in order, which I know you will, I mentioned computer equipment and weapons. They are not all located here. This place wasn't big enough, but it was easily located, so you or hopefully another Resistance member could find it._

That they did. His mother's intuition was beyond anyone else's.

_The other weapons and equipment are located in the direction of the Wicked Witch that suffered a horrible fate. I'm sorry for the cryptic message, John, but I know you'll know the answer to that one. I'm so proud of you, and I wish nothing more to beside you helping you take on your destiny, but that's not my fate. I love you, John._

John put the letter down and stared straight into the wall in front of him. He knew which direction she was talking about. It was east from here. Unfortunately that's the only information she left. Perhaps she had too much faith in him.

He took in a deep breath and turned around. Allison was sitting up flipping through the pages of The Wizard of Oz. He listened to the pages turn. He always loved the way the thick paper moved in books, especially that book. It immersed him in reading every time.

Not this time.

"My mother used to read it to me over and over again... in Spanish," he said to her and took a seat next to her.

She took her eyes away from the book. "Why in Spanish?" she asked.

"She learned it before I was born. I was raised in Mexico. I didn't see the United States until I was several years old."

"Oh," was all she could say. She didn't know what to say to that. John tried to change the subject.

"We should read it sometime. I think you'd like it," he said with a smile.

"I would like that," she gave John a smile to respond.

Allison's caring stare turned into one of alert once her sight went back John's shoulder.

"John," she started with panic in her voice. "What is that?"

John turned to see the dirt on the floor turn into a liquid mirror, distorting him and Allison's forms. John swallowed. He knew who it was.

The distorted liquid metal starting to take shape.

It was Weaver, but no more business suit for her. She was dressed just like a Resistance member. A long dark coat with military pants and boots. That same old smirk was on her face.

"Hello, John," she greeted. She just stared at Allison for a moment who looked back in terror.

"I'm not here to hurt you. Don't worry," a smile of reassurance appeared on her face. "I'm here to speak with John."

She cowered and held onto John's arm as the two remained sitting on the floor. John felt an anger boil within him. Where was John Henry. He had her. He had her chip, and he wanted it back. He couldn't speak of that now, not with Allison here.

"John, it's good to see you," she said.

"I wish the feeling was mutual," he spat. He wasn't doing a great job at keeping his feelings close to the chest and away from Allison.

"Now is not the time for this. I can see you're making progress, but they aren't all completely convinced of you, not yet," Weaver turned around. She looked down at the note that Sarah left for John. The direction you need to travel is east." she informed him.

"I read the book and the note, I know which direction to go in," John said with subtle hostility. He was doing a better job at suppressing it.

"There's a problem going east from here. There is a Skynet facility on the way, John." Weaver turned back around at John. Her left arm was folded holding up her right elbow. Her right hand hovered near her face.

"A facility? What is going there?" John asked.

"It is a Skynet work camp. There are human prisoners there. They are used for replicating human tissue. It's a T Triple Eight factory," she explained.

John sighed. This was going to be his first huge obstacle.

"We'll be in touch, John," with that she disappeared again. The reflective metal dissipated into the ground.

He turned around and looked at Allison. She tilted her head in confusion.

"Who was that?" she asked. "What was that?" she said in a panic. She tried standing up, but fell right back down. She let out a small whimper. He ran to her side.

"Calm down, Allison," he whispered. "She's on my side. I can't completely explain how right now, but she is. She's here to help," John tried comforting her.

He was convincing. That's probably why he makes a great leader. She calmed down quickly. "We're going to the factory, aren't we?" she asked.

He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, we are."

She looked down at her lap. "And how are we going to take out that factory and rescue those people?"

John walked to the back of the bunker and came back into sight of Allison. His hands held a few pieces of C4 explosives.

"With these," he exclaimed. "I found them in the safe in the back when you were asleep last night," he paused. "This is how we are going to take it out."

She smiled. "Let's do it."

Beams of light filled the entire bunker as the doors flew open. They both opened their eyes in alert. John dove to his assault rifle and pointed it at the opening. Allison grabbed her rifle as well, stealing a glance of John before concentrating on the opened hatch doors.

"John? Allison?"

They knew that voice.

It was Kyle.

"I found them," he yelled. "Turn the jeeps off! We got to save gas!"

John and Allison put their rifles down.

Derek's voice followed. "We wondered what happened to you two," he said. He stood behind his younger brother, both with their rifles in hand.

John got to his and feet helped Allison get up.

Kyle and Derek's small smiles of relief turned into frowns.

"What happened, Allison?" Kyle asked taking a step towards her.

"HK fire," she said. "I'm okay now. John helped me. Luckily it was more of a burn than a wound. Still hurt like hell, though," she smirked.

Kyle returned her smirk while Derek walked around the bunker. "We couldn't grab all of this stuff the last time, we should know. We have the jeeps.

"I agree," John said. "The cardboard boxes on the bottom shelves. I want those in my room. They're from my mother," the last words came out tenderly. He cleared his throat. "My mother left me a note. We need to go east from here. She left us a cache of weapons, computers, and other equipment."

"East? Just east? No other specific directions?" Derek asked skeptically. "There is a Skynet work camp in that direction, John," he said pointing his arm in the direction, his index finger being the end of his gesture. "We can't go that way, John. It's suicide!" He raised his voice at John.

"Yes we can, because we are going to destroy it, Derek," John said sternly and calmly.

Kyle walked up to John. "John, you've definitely changed some things here, but to go after a work camp? We don't have the fire power. We don't even have anyway to take a camp like that down."

"Yes we do." They look to Allison who was walking towards the back of the bunker and grabbed the C4 John showed her before.

Kyle and Derek looked at her and then John's stare.

"How many of you are here?" John asked.

"Four jeeps," Derek answered.

"Just four of us," Kyle added.

"Load up two of the jeeps with all of the supplies in this bunker. Those two will head back to the depot," he paused. "The other two... we're heading to the work camp."

Allison stepped up to John and handled the Reese brothers the explosives.

"Move out."

John hit the back of the jeeps with all of the supplies on it. Gravel jumped up from behind the wheels as the vehicles moved farther away from them. He squinted as the dirt began to settle. John turned around to find Allison, Kyle, Derek, and a couple soldiers he didn't know staring back at him.

He walked up to the first soldier.

"What's your name?" John asked.

The soldier stood up straight and tightened the grip on his shotgun.

"Private Brian Wells, Connor, I'm with the 132nd," Wells replied.

"Nice to meet you, Wells," John said back to Wells. "And you, what is your name?" He asked to the next soldier.

She looked up at John with complete attention. "Corporal Stacy Duncan, I am also with the 132nd," she lifted her head up and stood up straight.

"Nice to meet you," John answered. She nodded with a small smile.

"Okay," John had to put his words together. "There's a Skynet Work Camp east from here. We are going to take it down. We have these," he looked at Allison who showed the explosives.

"We are just going to march into a Skynet Work Camp and blow it up? There are only four of us, John," Stacy questioned.

John stopped a frown. He knew they'd be incredulous. "Sometimes it's not about the numbers. We can sneak in more easily if it's just the four of us. We'll be able to get in undetected, plant the explosives, and then blow the place to hell," John nodded with confidence with his statement.

Derek shook his head, "John, I don't think that's a good idea," He paused. "We haven't won a battle against them. We have to constantly run."

"We can't keep running, Derek," John's eyes were wide. He shared glances with all of them. His shoulders went up and down in sync with his heavy breath.

_I can't keep running. I can't. I'm not who they think I am. Some Messiah._

"If you don't start fighting, you'll all lose hope," He started to calm down.

_You don't know that._

Kyle took a step closer to his older brother. "He's right, Derek," Kyle placed a hand on his shoulder. "We need to fight. We need to show people that there's still hope."

_I know. I can't lead an army. Maybe that's you, but it will never be me, so you've got to stop it. Please... Mom..._

His conversation the morning after Cromartie attacked him at his new high school echoed through his head. He couldn't believe in his words now. He did then, but he had no choice but to ignore them. While he'd only been here a few days, John made an impact. Perhaps what everyone has been telling him was true. He knew it was true. The attacks from terminators, traveling through time, and Judgment Day finally passing. From everything his mother told him. Everything Kyle told her, Derek told him, and Cameron explained to him. His fate was set.

Derek nodded. "You're right, John. You're right," Derek conceded.

Allison unleashed a small smile.

"Okay, let's move out. We'll observe the facility and come up with a more detailed plan," John said.

"Yes, sir!" Allison shouted saluting John.

He smiled back at her, but a serious look returned to his face as he faced east.

_Perhaps what everyone has been telling him was true. He knew it was true. The attacks from terminators, traveling through time, and Judgment Day finally passing. From everything his mother told him. Everything Kyle told her, Derek told him, and Cameron explained to him. His fate was set._

_ His fate was set._

_No fate but what we make?_

His fate was set, but the result of it was in his hands.

As they walked towards the Skynet Work Camp, they saw a bright light from the sky. They pointed their rifles up expecting an HK, but they only saw a bright light followed by a rumbling from the heavens. John continued to look up only to feel moisture roll down his cheeks.

It did rain in the future.

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><p><em>So what did you think? Let me know, please. See you all again soon. Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for the next chapter.<em>


	6. Two Kings

Long time no see? Or long time no read? I apologize for that, but the slew of negative reviews put me in a funk. I wasn't motivated to touch this. I appreciate feedback, but I do not appreciate being told if things don't change, I see no point in continue reading. That isn't constructive at all. But, I have returned, I cannot let that stop me from finishing this. This isn't the best chapter, as it is my first chapter in months, and it is the first chapter with quick paced action. So be kind. This could be the chapter that decides if I continue or not.

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><p>Chapter 5: Two Kings<p>

John laid prone on the ground staring at the Skynet Work Camp from afar. His eyes peered through Kyle's binoculars. His left eye noticed the dirt smeared on the left lens while his right eye couldn't ignore the crack through the other lens. He watched a terminator split into two as it entered the crack of the right lens.

"There's only one machine out there," John took his eyes out of the binoculars and turned his head. "Armed with an assault rifle."

"Skynet only has one machine out there because they don't expect anyone is crazy enough to infiltrate a Skynet Work Camp," Derek answered.

John ignored the comment. John knew what he had to do. The human race wasn't on the top of the totem pole anymore. They were the prey for the first time in eons. It terrified them. They didn't know what to do. The human race had turned into frightened nomads.

John placed his eyes back onto the worn black rubber of the binoculars. His eyes got used to the enhanced vision as he watched the terminator through the crack lens again. It continued to make the same systematic path. John used his armed in his prone position to bring himself back to the safety of the abandoned building they found themselves in.

"Well, there is one thing good about the metal. They are consistent with their patrols," John said trying to sit up in their small space.

"That's part of the reason we've been able to evade them. We can be unpredictable," Allison answered holding her legs close to her turning her head towards John. She placed her head on her knees, clutching them closely.

Stacy entered the room closing her water bottle after taking a sip from it and looked towards the group. "We're clear around this building. We can definitely hide out here until tonight," she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her arm.

"And don't go on the roof," Kyle took his bag off. "They'll be HK's flying around since we are so close to the camp." He opened the bag and took out some cans of food handing one to everybody.

"Thanks," John said. He took his knife out and stabbed the can. The sound of his can opening joined with the tin can orchestra of the other cans.

John took a sip of his cold soup. He missed his mother's pancakes or her attempt at pot roast. He eyed the others who gratefully ate the food from the cans. This was the world they were used to, no guarantee of food, sleep, or shelter. No guarantee of survival. He swallowed deeply.

John took another sip of his soup. Cold chicken noodle. He looked down at the yellow broth and sighed to himself. His eyes made their way to his comrades' faces. While they looked content eating their food, he could see right through them. He could see it. He saw the subtle doubt within. The doubt that surrounding John's claims that he was who he said he was. John knew he didn't and couldn't tell them everything. Hell, he thought he probably told too much to Allison already, but it was too risky. But, he could see the skepticism in their faces that he was really their messiah. He looked at Allison and smiled, though. She might be his only complete believer. But, he knew that she was a trusting and uplifting individual. He felt like he was inadvertently taking advantage of that. John wanted the one person who could give him the confidence to do this.

He needed Cameron.

When he traveled to the future, leaving his mother behind, he came for her. Only for her. His one motivation was to reunite with Cameron. He wanted to finally tell her that he loved her.

Never telling a girl they loved someone and regretting it was for the life of John Baum, not John Connor. He could hear Derek he knew saying that to him right now. He left John Baum a long time ago. To him, John Baum never existed. It was only a name. He is John Connor.

But sometimes it's nice to have help.

That's why he needed Cameron. He needed her help. He couldn't be full of pride anymore.

He need her help to win this war.

It was his fate.

As another sip of broth went down his throat, his mind wondered to his conversation with Weaver. He didn't regret his attitude towards her because he was still unsure of her motives still. Was she really helping him? Or did she lead him into something dangerous and over his head? She promised a way to get her back. He would just need to watch his steps.

_It's funny, I saw you looking around for all the exits... That's something the vets I talked to did._

_ Well, I'm not a vet..._

But he is a soldier. He was trained to be a soldier.

_You're ahead of schedule_

_ With what?_

_ With what you need to know._

His eyes went back towards the work camp. He knew what he had to do. It was his fate. He needed to unite the small bands of Resistance fighters. It was time for to give these people one thing. Not weapons or armor, but something humans could get behind. Something a machine would never understand.

Hope.

John slowly opened his eyes to see Kyle looking towards the work camp. He took his head off his bag and sat up. His legs rubbed against the debris getting Kyle's attention.

"You're awake," Kyle said calmly looking away from the hole in the wall. He took his arm off the wall and turned towards John.

John rubbed his head and yawned right after Kyle's words sank in. "Yeah," was all John could get out. What the hell would he say to his father when it was just the two of them?

"So," Kyle started. "Your mother left all of this for you?" He walked towards John as the words exited his mouth.

John nodded. "She did." John lifted his hand up and lightly touched the pocket his mother's picture was in.

"And you traveled through time to end up here?" Kyle asked another question.

"Yeah," John said in a breathy voice. "I know there's doubt..."

"There will always be doubt, John. Even if you are who you say who are, the leader of the Human Resistance, people will never completely agree with you. It's just the way things are," Kyle started.

John couldn't believe how calm his father was. The conversation itself was so surreal to him, even when you take out the equation of him talking to his father.

"My mother trained me for this and I still don't feel ready," John spoke softly. His eyes left his father's and caught a glimpse of Allison sleeping with a small smile on her face. Even the pleasantry of that couldn't keep him from feeling something getting caught in his throat.

"No one can feel ready for this. It's unimaginable. I was young when Judgment Day happened. I was playing baseball with Derek," a small smile tinted with sadness appeared on his lips. "It was a beautiful day. It was the last time I saw a blue sky with no clouds. Families were having barbecues, no worries in the world."

Kyle stood up and walked near his brother. "Fireworks. The sky lit up with what I thought were fireworks. I remember the smile on my face, but Derek knew better. He grabbed me and took me to the basement. After what seemed days, we took to the surface. We knew our lives were changed forever."

John didn't know what to say to him. He knew this world took everything from people, but to hear the stories was too much for him. He watched Kyle make his rounds and take a seat across from him again. A sigh escaping his lips.

He dug through his pocked and grabbed the photo of his mother. He stared at it and saw the somber look in his mother's face.

"I want you to have this, Kyle," John handed Kyle the photo.

Kyle took it with his index and thumb, holding it gently. "What is this," he asked.

"It's a photo of mother. She left it for me in her bunker. It's a reminder for me that she'll always exist, but I want it to be a reminder for you that... even though that our old world doesn't exist physically, it remains in here." John pointed at his chest.

"Thank you, John," Kyle whispered. "Hopefully this will give me some luck."

"She gave luck to me, she'll do the same for you." John answered.

John stood up. "My turn for watch. Get some sleep," John said.

John grabbed his weapon and headed towards the window. He took another peak at his father who had a smile on his face staring at the photo.

It was still dark as the squad stayed in cover, feet from the Skynet Work Camp. Again the terminator split into two as it enters the lens of the binoculars.

"Still the one terminator," Stacy said as she turned towards the rest of the group.

"Like I said, consistency," John muttered.

_Time to be a leader._

He could Derek was ready to give out orders.

"First, we need to get down the hill undetected. There may be one terminator, but it still has superior detection skills, and we don't what other traps lie down there. We must avoid firing our weapons wildly. We'll make our way down the hill opposite of its current patrol location. We need to sneak up fast, stab it in the neck and fir one shot point blank into its chip," John ordered.

"You're going to use a knife against it," Brian asked questionably.

"It's an older model, it'll work," John replied.

"How do you know that," Brian asked.

"I have my sources, don't you worry," John answered.

Brian simply nodded. John's voice was full of confidence, he may have not completely believed in himself, but he had to for the others, otherwise this wouldn't work.

"Derek, Kyle. I need you to stay up here for cover," John looked at the skepticism on Derek's face. "After we take control down there, you come down and enter with us.

Derek stared at John before answering, "got it," he whispered.

"Got it, John, " Kyle answered.

Stay calm. Stay confident.

"Let's move out."

Inertia took over as the four of them went down the far side of the hill, trying their best to keep their balance in the dark. They hit the flat surface and took defensive positions as they slowly approached the lone terminator. John took a deep breath. He had to show his leadership skills. His mother always told him he was a natural leader, he felt that was farther from the truth, but he had to prove it now. He didn't have a choice. John put one hand up with the other keeping the rifle on the terminator. He signaled that he would take the lead on the terminator.

Derek kept his eyes on the four of them approach the metal. He took his face off of the scope with his mouth agape.

John was leading. He placed his face back on the scope just in time to see John lodge a knife in the back of the terminator skull.

John tried turning the knife, but broke the handle. He stared at the handle before the terminator turned around, still disoriented, its sensors still struggling to figure out what happened. Allison rushed behind the terminator and got on all fours. John pushed the metal instinctively and it fell as it made contact with Allison. He pounced on the terminator and pointed his assault right at the CPU port and fired once.

The red eyes faded away as John moved the rifle away from its head. He stood up slowly and turned around.

"That went smoothly," Alison said with a small smile.

"For once," Stacy added.

"Let's head for the door," John ordered quietly.

The rest of the group nodded. He signaled at Derek and Kyle who immediately made their way down the hill after they were signaled. Keeping their guard up, they slowly made their way to the main entrance. John couldn't help himself but look at the cold structure. He wondered how many humans were forced to make this only to be imprisoned in it?

As they approached the doors they waited for John's orders.

"Let-" he was cut off as the doors began to open. A small slit of dull light coming through the crack. It lit up the middle of John's face as it widened.

"Take cover," he ordered.

They ran back up the hill as the open door revealed three Triple 8's armed with plasma rifles.

"Open fire!" John yelled.

Gunfire filled the small valley. Derek and Kyle took cover and aimed their rifles carefully taking out one of the Triple 8's, shooting it in the head.

"Two point attack," John yelled. "Alison with me! Stacy and Brian make your way to the right!" They ran and opened fire on the two terminators as did John and Alison did the same on the left side.

Plasma bolts passed John and Alison. He took to the ground near the fallen terminator and picked up the plasma rifle. He opened fire on the two Triple 8's. The sound of plasma bolts hitting coltan brightened up the small area as the two endoskeletons fell to the ground.

Alison picked up the the plasma rifles and handed the last one to Kyle, who caught up with the rest after the firefight along with Derek.

"Let's stay together," John ordered. "Keep your guns up."

As they entered, they kept low and took cover before checking the situation. Two other terminators came to investigate, but were taken out with two plasma rifle shots.

"What's the plan?" Kyle asked John.

"We need strength in numbers," John started. "Let's get to the prison and release the prisoners, they'll riot and give a chance to destroy this place."

Derek nodded with approval. "Good idea, John. Let's do this."

"We'll split up. Derek and Kyle, you'll find the prison cells. I'll take the rest. I have a feeling we'll encounter more of the resistance." John added.

They all nodded at John and headed to their specific areas.

Another terminator hit the ground, it's head smoking from the plasma bolt making contact with its endoskeleton.

"I can hear voices screaming," Kyle said to Derek as they edged further down the corridor.

"We must be getting closer," Derek responded.

"So, you really think John had a good idea with the prisoners," Kyle asked.

"I do, the kid can amaze, even with how skeptical his story is," Derek answered.

"It is out there, but he has brought hope to does he has come in contact with. And his knowledge on the machines is unsound. He wouldn't be doing this much for us if he was a Grey," Kyle spoke holding his rifle close.

"I suppose so, but I will not keep my back turned, but so far, he has proved me wrong," Derek admitted.

A smile appeared on Kyle's face.

They reached the end of the corridor and placed their backs against the wall before taking a small peek.

"Nothing. It's clear," Kyle whispered.

"Good, let me reload," Derek answered. Kyle took another look as Derek reloaded.

With the click of the new magazine, Derek looked over to Kyle who was staring at a photo.

"What are you doing," Derek asked. "What is that?"

"It's a photo John gave me. It's a photo of his mother," Kyle answered. His eyes didn't leave the photo as he responded to Derek.

"Why the hell did he give you that," Derek asked with scrutiny. He took to the corner of the corridor and looked pass the corner for metal. It was still clear.

"For luck," he simply answered as he placed it back in his chest pocket.

They continued down the corridor, Kyle fired his plasma rifle into any metal he saw.

"It's barren. No metal what so ever down these halls." Kyle said.

"That means they are on alert, they probably are protecting the core of this camp. I'm sure John and the rest have their hands full."

"Yeah, which means we need to find the controls to the prison cells quick," Kyle answered.

As they continued down the hallway, the lack of terminators continued, which only quickened their movements to make sure the other half of their was seen again. They knew the metal went after them. Another turn into another corridor brought up noises.

"Sounds like human voices, Derek," Kyle whispered.

"They're moaning. What did the metal do to them?"

"I don't know, but let's get them out." Kyle responded.

Further down the corridor they could see the cold steel bars, hands sticking out of them. The groans of men, women, and children echoed throughout the entire hallway. Their steps got slower, more deliberate as they entered the prisoners' realm.

The cries got louder as they entered.

"Humans!" the voice cried. "Let us free!" They pleaded with the two.

John opened fire from his cover hitting a terminator in the arm and another plasma bolt destroyed its head.

"John!" Alison cried. "I'm running low on ammo!"

"Me too," Stacy added.

John took careful aim and fired the plasma rifle knocking down another terminator

Another terminator fell from the onslaught of fire from the four. The empty click from their rifles caused John's eyes to rush to look at the three of them. He aimed carefully downed the iron sights and closed his left eye. The pink and purple blast collided with another terminator's head as it collapsed to the ground.

Alison took out her pistol and cocked it, looking back up, she saw that three more terminators arrived. The sound of their feet and gears filled the corridor up with an unwanted sound. John looked up, a gap in his mouth at the odds they faced.

Alison looked at John with her pistol pointing at the metal. "I don't know about this, John," she said grimly.

"Hang in there, baby," he whispered.

The three terminators started coming closer, but they never got close to the four of them. The sound of plasma rifles opened fire upon the terminators accompanied by the screams and yells of the prisoners.

"For the Resistance!" the prisoners yelled as the terminators fell.

"Glad to see us?" Derek asked with Kyle behind him.

"Kyle!" Alison yelled getting up on her feet.

"Thanks for the help," John said with an exhale of relief.

Now armed with plasma rifles from the fallen terminators, Stacy and Brian joined the other four.

"We need to finish this and get out of here," John said.

"I couldn't agree more," Alison answered.

John took out the explosives. "Let's move."

The explosion lit up the sky as they watched from a safe distance. Another exhale of relief escaped John's mouth. It was the first real strike of the Resistance. An offensive he led. He felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked up to see Derek.

"Nice job, John," Derek started. "I think I might have underestimated you."

"Thanks, Derek," John answered, a hand shake taking place right after.

Alison walked up to John and gave him a quick hug, too quick for John to react to.

"Just so you know, I always believed in you," she said with a smile.

He was red in the face, it wasn't an attraction, but with the limited contact he had with women, he couldn't help but get a little flustered.

"How cute, but we should move before Skynet makes its way here," Kyle interrupted.

"Right, let's-"

John was cut off. After the sky lit up from the explosion, it went completely dark, but the darkness didn't last long as searchlights turned on with the sound of them turning on startled the team.

_Shit. Skynet. _John's mind raced.

They could make out some vehicles, they looked military.

They raised their weapons, but no enemy fire came their way.

One voice echoed through their ears.

"John Connor?!" The voice was obscured through the speaker of one vehicle.

John didn't answer.

"You're under arrest for endangering Resistance members in an unauthorized operation."

"By who's order?" Kyle yelled.

"Mine."

"Who the hell are you?" John yelled.

The lights dimmed and a figure started to walk towards John. The older man was darned in military uniform and was completely stoic, with slight anger on his face.

"My name is General Ashdown, and I'm the leader of the Resistance."

* * *

><p>What did you think? I will let you know, that this chapter will be the start of a post Born to Run story that will deviate from the others that this story paralleled. I have some interesting ideas that I would like to see through with this story, and I hope you will enjoy reading them. Sorry for the lack of length in this chapter as well.<p> 


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